


Softer than Buchimaru

by wannabeoppa



Series: Makoto Niijima Week 2018 [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Day 1 - Buchimaru, Gen, PT has a group chat for general shit talking, Sae niijima is a big softie don't change my mind, makoto niijima week 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 15:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16020440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wannabeoppa/pseuds/wannabeoppa
Summary: Sae might not be good with her words, but she always knew how to cheer her sister up.





	Softer than Buchimaru

Makoto was quiet - worryingly so. Almost like a body without a soul. She was dragging herself past their front door, eyes fixed on the floorboards while her body moved on autopilot.

Sae stopped typing and looked up from her laptop. She hesitated. “W-welcome home.”

Makoto snapped out of her trance. A small smile crawled across her plump lips, acknowledging her sister who was surprisingly home before her.

“Hi. You’re home early. Sorry I am la-”

“Are you okay?” Sae interrupted before Makoto could finish her thoughts. She tried her best to make it sound like she wasn’t interrogating her baby sister. Sae hasn’t been the best sister to her but even so, seeing her like this pulled her into “protective sister mode”.

“Mm. Just a little exhausted.” She smiled a little.

_Fake._

“I’ll have something prepared for us, sis. Please excuse me.” She meandered past the kitchen where Sae sat with her arms folded against her chest.

Maybe Makoto had gotten a bad grade? Nah, that couldn’t be it. It was Makoto we’re talking about. Maybe...stress?

Sae could sigh as the door softly click close behind Makoto. The nameplate in the shape of a panda, Buchimaru Makoto’s beloved childhood mascot, swayed as the door shut. She bit her lip and continued on with her work. But after the exchange they had, her little sister’s sombre expression stopped her from thinking about anything else.

~O~

Dinner was quiet - not unusual. The unusual thing was that Sae Niijima was with Makoto during dinner. She sat across the brunette who picked at her food, eyes empty...soulless. Sae couldn’t bring to break the tormenting silence. What could she use to break it with anyway?

“Bad day?” Finally she thought of something.

Makoto replied meekly. “Sort of. But it’s nothing I can’t shake off.” Again, she smiled but it was so frigid.

“Is that right?” The older Niijima mumbled before laying the chopsticks along with the bowl down on the table.

“I’ll be out for a little bit. Don’t wait up.” She uttered.

“Oh. Take care, sis.” Without a looking back, Sae was out of the door. Oddly enough without her big bag but a phone and a wallet. Makoto didn’t question it.

And just like that they were back on the norm.

~O~

***Ping***

**Ren:** You okay?

Makoto laid on her bed, surrounded by the countless Buchimaru stuffed toys and plushies that she had bought and was given to her through the years she’d like Buchimaru. A big pillow Buchi which she laid her back against was the comfort she needed at a time like this.

 **Makoto:** I think so.

 **Ren:** I assure you, nobody was laughing. They were more worried than anything.

Ren assured her. Despite it being sent over text, Makoto felt the warmth in his words but still, it did not change the fact that fear ailment had her begging for her life. She remembered vividly that she had clung around Joker’s leg for dear life while she trembled in literal fear. To make matters worse, she was afraid a cloth that a shadow left behind. Due to the ailment effect, her perspective of it was a giant cobra was about to swallow her whole.

She shook the memories out of her head, well… she tried.

 **Makoto** : ..I hope so. It was just embarrassing.. I feel like I slowed us down, too.

Ren was quick to reply.

 **Ren:** Don’t you start. We were all worried about you. Besides, we have plenty of time. Get some rest, okay? 

Makoto could only sigh and considered Ren’s advice. Surrounded by her fluffy spotted companion, she pushed the thoughts away and let her be swallowed by the warmth Buchimaru-kun offered.  

With the power of Buchimaru-kun, not even a Shadow’s ailment can affect her.

~O~

Sae hurried through Shibuya that night with Buchimaru’s name dripping from her lips as she mumbled. Almost a reminder what she stormed out of their house for amidst an upset Makoto.

Sae wasn’t much into showing any feelings or any sign of ‘weakness’ - she would say. So she wouldn’t admit that she was worried. With how Makoto looked this evening, all she wanted to do was lift her spirit up. Hence, she was in Shibuya scouring every single stationary store she could walk by in search of a Buchimaru themed stationary. Be it a pencil (or pencils), a notebook or an eraser, anything.

“Damn it.” She huffed as the last store she went to just flipped the “Closed” sign on her. The goods she was looking for were there.  She felt defeated.

“Niijima-san?”

“..Ah..Amamiya-kun.”

~O~

Makoto felt somewhat better as if Buchimaru’s powers had made all her worries go away, well… on top of almost 50 messages from the groupchat last night after she has passed out telling her not to think so much of it. And of course memes, Buchimaru, Buchimaru memes and more cat memes that Futaba had somewhat known she was into. It brought a little smile to her as she rubbed her eyes awake while making her way to the kitchen.

It was quiet.

“Sis must have left early.” She mumbled to herself while she stretched her arms over her head until her eyes were open enough to see what was on the table laid out for her.

A card that read **_“to Makoto: Hope you feel a lot better today. These are for you. - Sae”_ **.

Underneath the paper was a small box with a panda sticker plastered all over it. Her head tilted curiously as she cradled the box in her arms while carefully removing the top part of it.

“Oh..my..” Her eyes shone so brightly enough to perch her atop a Christmas tree. A contrast from what she came home with last night. She squealed excitedly still cradling the box that she had gotten from her sister. Inside laid a pack of Buchimaru themed pencils where the base was nothing but faces of Buchimaru topped with all kinds of tiny hats and a large eraser almost as big as Makoto’s palm. Of course, it was Buchimaru with a speech bubble that screamed “Smile!”.

Sae might not be good with her words, but she always knew how to cheer her sister up.

~O~

**PT and Chill group chat**

**Queen:** *sent a photo*

 **Skull:** Woah...that’s a big Buchi..

 **Panther:** Awh!! That’s so cute!

 **Oracle:** Shit...that is cute.

 **Noir:** That’s so cute! 

 **Joker:** See, your sister is a big softie. She just doesn’t want to admit it. 

 **Queen:** How did you know it was from her?

 **Joker:** :D

**Several people typing…**

~O~

***ping***

**Sae Niijima:** Thank you for all your help last night, Amamiya-kun. I didn’t know you had the charm to talk that lady into opening the shop back up for me to buy those Buchimaru stationery. I didn’t think you had it in you.  

 **Ren Amamiya:** You wound me, Niijima-san. But you’re welcome.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Makoto Niijima Week 2018!
> 
> Let's start off day one with the softest bean in whole of Persona 5 - Buchimaru.
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this prompt. But I am not a writer so please, I'm sorry if it's a little eh. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed nonetheless!
> 
> Please follow [Makoto Niijima week](https://t.co/HC4PTC8F3W) on tumblr and [@makotoweek](https://twitter.com/makotoweek) on twitter for more information!


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